Wednesday, February 29, 2012

PodCamp 2012

photo by C. Pilch

I am celebrating Leap Day by taking this extra time to finally update my blog ( I have committed an egregious social media faux pas by leaving my blog stranded for some months)! And so, I can think of no better way to do this than to share my experience at podcamp Western MA (#pcwm). Under the umbrella of "social media" this podcamp bills itself as an "un-conference" in which the 150 or so participants decide , on the fly, the topics and sessions to discuss. A tenderfoot to the Podcamp experience, I went in without any preconceptions of what it was all about. I had been using social media for my business(es) but had never really given thought to the idea of a group of people sharing their experiences, knowledge and expertise for the benefit of individuals and business owners alike. I also had no idea of where I rated in my knowledge as social media consumer. So, it was no-brainer to plop down a mere thirty bucks, get a cool t-shirt, swag bag, lunch and an after party, to soak in all that was social media.

From QR Codes to Augmented Reality(so cool) to Pinterest to LinkedIn and beyond, the gamut was covered and I was quickly immersed looking for juicy tips and tidbits that would increase my network worth. There was a great energy and a comfortable casual atmosphere which completely amplified the experience. I was equally delighted to find that I indeed was fully taking advantage of some of my networking and also walked away with a near screen-full of new apps to test out on my smartphone. The value of this un-conference continues to pay for itself with the connections I made and the potential productivity I will gain from all that I gleaned.

As the social media revolution continues to explode, I am looking forward to #pcwm 5 as well as Podcamp Connecticut in May. These are not to be missed!

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My Shop

Custom Design

obelisk is an innovative, family-owned, design group offering fine concrete decor and more. Winding your way down a peninsula along the Kennebec River, you may just stumble across a modest grey farmhouse and accompanying shaker barn. This 1850’s pairing makes the home and workshop of Master Concrete Artisan Thomas Stuart.

Similarly, make your way over Mt. Tom in Western, Massachusetts, and find, nestled at its foot, a century old, humble bakery. This is now home and studio to Designer and Concrete Artisan, Andrew Stuart.

Together these two brothers make up Obelisk: fine concrete décor. “Our homes are monuments to ourselves and say a great deal about our values and priorities.” Hence, the name of this minute collaborative: obelisk. “Drama.” “Artistry.” “Craftsmanship.” These are all expressions conjured up by the creations of this duo. Obelisk transcends ordinary notions of concrete to create works of art that celebrate the home and feed the soul. Evoking an Old World beauty coupled with the sophistication of contemporary design, Obelisk’s designs are in both part simple and complex.

Each piece is handled individually from creating the forms, mixing the batch, to the fine finishing touches of a gentle sanding, polishing and buffing. Thomas and Andrew carefully consider each object as if it were to grace their own surroundings. To this end, the urban and the rural, the lakefront home to the industrial loft, are spaces that become a bit more distinguished with a piece of Obelisk fine concrete.

W e are inspired by anything steeped with history, age or patina; objects and design that evoke an 'essence,' The Machine Age, old New England Mills, vintage industrial, nature, old French guesthouses, the Maine coast, The Pacific Northwest, modern design and simple functional art.